For the first time, Universal is venturing into the realm of live-action storytelling with the upcoming “How To Train Your Dragon” film. Interestingly, one of the key figures behind the original animated movie is reprising his role for this new interpretation. Dean DeBlois, the writer and director of the DreamWorks trilogy, is back to spin a fresh tale about Hiccup and Toothless in his fourth installment. Lately, DeBlois has expressed his reasons for taking on this project despite being critical of past live-action remakes.
Over the past few years, it’s been evident that Walt Disney Studios has a clear strategy – transforming many of its classic animated films into live-action versions. Given the studio’s commercial triumph with this approach, it’s no wonder there are even more live-action Disney remakes on the horizon for movies released in 2025 and beyond, including How To Train Your Dragon. At a recent Universal event for the movie, the writer/director shared insights about the project’s origins.
I was eager to gather as much information as possible about the art of creating live-action films. Unfortunately, I’ve had some initial setbacks. There was a project in 2004 with Disney that almost took off but ultimately failed. It’s been tough trying to break into this field, and even when the actors’ strike occurred before production on one project began, things didn’t work out. Interestingly, despite the success of Dragon 3 in 2019, I spent four to five years selling projects, writing drafts, and getting paid for it, but none were greenlit. Then unexpectedly, Universal approached me with an idea: “What if we create a live-action adaptation of How To Train Your Dragon?
Dean DeBlois shared with me and other journalists at a reception in Universal offices in Los Angeles that since completing the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy in 2019, he’s been diligently working on a fresh concept, but without much success. For instance, the year How to Train Your Dragon 3 was released, he was tied to write and direct a film adaptation of Micronauts. However, his efforts bore no fruit until Universal proposed a remake for How to Train Your Dragon. As DeBlois went on saying:
Initially, my own beliefs were challenged as I felt somewhat hypocritical due to my long-standing view that live-action remakes often fall short compared to their animated counterparts. However, I couldn’t help but consider the potential of working on a high-budget production with talented individuals in a world I’m familiar with and characters I admire. If I were to participate, I wanted to be fully immersed. Consequently, I found myself in a mad dash to learn as much as possible.
I was completely upfront with the team, explaining that despite my lack of experience, I would approach the project from a storytelling angle and learn on the job. Fortunately, this openness fostered an enjoyable and respectful work environment.
Previously, Dean DeBlois has openly expressed his views about animated films being turned into live-action versions. In 2020, DeBlois stated that he wasn’t interested in live-action remakes and considered them a “lack of creativity on the studio’s part” and a “missed chance to introduce something unique to the world” (as reported by Variety). Three years later, DeBlois agreed to direct one, not necessarily because it was his idea initially, but because he felt that if it was going to be produced, he should be the one in control.
Deblois’ remarks definitely highlight some issues with the Hollywood system, where executives might be suppressing unique concepts and investing in remakes instead. Interestingly, DreamWorks Animation’s “How To Train Your Dragon” is also being treated this way, while a live-action remake of Deblois’ cherished “Lilo & Stitch” is planned for 2025.
I’m eagerly anticipating the transformation of the property by DeBlois in live-action! Catch a glimpse of the sneak peek he shared with us at the event, and don’t miss it when it hits the big screen on June 13th!
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2025-02-19 03:08